Invasion

Luffy and Frantz walked through the residential district with Hancock and Caria on their shoulders.

"So what do you think about Bounty Island so far?"

Frantz asked Luffy.

"It's a fun place. The people are great too."

"That's great to hear. I might not have been born here but I take pride in it."

"Is that so?"

Frantz nodded.

"By the way, Strawhat Luffy."

"Sup.....Ah!"

Luffy covered his mouth.

"M-My name isn't Luffy! It's Lu....Lucia! Yes, it's Lucia!"

Frantz burst out laughing.

"Man, you're a bad liar."

Frantz smiled at him.

"Don't worry, the mayor and I knew who you guys were from the beginning. We're the only ones though and it would be best if it stays that way."

"I see. I'll keep that in mind."

He had already forgotten.

"Anyway, Strawhat."

"Luffy is fine."

"Then, Luffy. I have a question for you. What is freedom to you?"

"Freedom? What a strange question. Freedom is freedom, there's nothing more to it."

"Then what is your freedom?"

"Hmmm....To eat, drink, laugh, and adventure as I please. If me and the people around me can do that, then I'm free."

"That's quite a simple answer."

"Really? It's what I believe though."

Frantz shook his head.

"I'm not saying your answer is wrong, in fact, I like how simple it is."

He nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, life should be simple."

"Right?"

Luffy was grinning. Frantz nodded again.

"When I want to know what a person is really like, I ask them what's their definition of freedom. Your answer is my second favourite after my boss."

"Your boss? Do you mean the mayor?"

Frantz shook his head.

"I respect Tate but he isn't my boss. My boss is someone so great the whole world fears him."

"Fear him? Is a bad guy?"

Frantz's eyes widened. He soon started grinning.

"That's a good question. Depending on who you ask he might be the devil or the messiah. To me, he's just a really great man."

"I see."

Luffy didn't say anything more and started checking on the unconscious Hancock. Frantz didn't continue the conversation either. He silently wiped the drool from Caria's mouth. After some more walking they arrived at the mansion Luffy was staying at.

"Then I'll leave you here. So, see you la--"

*BOOM*

A thundering explosion interrupted Frantz. He and Luffy turned their heads toward the direction of the explosion. It came from the coast.

*BOOM*

Another explosion erupted and fire and smoke came from the town.

"Is that cannon fire?!"

Frantz shouted. He stretched his hand out and a crystal grew out of his palm. That crystal morphed into a telescope. He looked through it and his body started to tremble.

"Pirates...It's a fleet of pirate ships!'

Let's go back to the previous day. After the arrival of the disguised Kuja and Luffy, Tate ordered the captain of the Sea Guards Connor to patrol the surroundings in the case of pursuers. They searched for several hours before deciding to return.

"Ok, let's go back."

"What strange creatures."

"?!"

An unknown voice reached their ears. They turned their heads and saw a man floating above the water. As if a phantom he was translucent and surrounded by mist. His dark skin had an unhealthy pale look which matched well with his skinny figure. His pale blue hair and silver eyes cemented his undead look.

"W-What the hell...!"

Connor was visibly terrified. Not because of the man's appearance, it was something else.

"Phantom of the Mist, Niara!"

It was because he recognized the man.

"Oh, you recognize me. As expected of a Bounty Hunter."

Niara's smile unsettled Connor and his comrades' hearts.

(Wait, if he's here then--)

A light flashed and a huge ship appeared out of nowhere behind Niara. The ship flew a Jolly Roger of a skull with mist oozing out of it.

(The Mist Pirates!...)

"Hm? Why did they reveal my ship while keeping theirs hidden?"

Niara mumbled while looking behind him. His words were like daggers to Connor's heart.

"It's because of dramatic effect."

A light flashed again and a dozen more ships appeared surrounding Connor and his comrades. A woman appeared on the bow of a ship that flew the Jolly Roger of a skull surrounded by abstract shapes and colours. She wore flashy colours from her hat to her boots. Even her hair was colourful like the rainbow.

"Spectrum Shelly of the Abstract Pirates...."

"I'm glad you guys know little ol' me."

Shelly flashed a savage grin. Connor started looking around at the ships as more and more people appeared on them.

(The Mist Pirates, the Abstract Pirates, the Gorge Pirates, the Wild Cats Pirates....)

His eyes trembled as his eyes landed on the Jolly Roger of a certain ship. Unlike everybody else's this flag was white and had a black skull in the center.

"The Origami Pirates..."

The light faded from his eyes.

"Hey, is it me, or did the way he said Origami Pirates was full of more despair than when he talked about us?"

"It's not a competition, Shelly."

"It sure as hell is when we're all pirates, Niara."

"Could you two shut up?"

Another voice was heard and it came from the Origami Pirates' ship.

"Hey, you on that sea horse thing. Let me tell you how is this going to go."

The voice was calm and strangely soothing.

"We're going to ask you to take us to Bounty Island, you're going to refuse because of honor and shit, then we capture and torture you guys. You're gonna show commendable resilience and not talk but that's when we reveal something that breaks you mentally."

The voice paused as Connor swore he heard a smirk.

"We'll reveal we have a devil fruit user who can display your memories for everyone to see."

"That would be me and my Projection-Projection Fruit."

Shelly spoke proudly. Connor looked at all of them with a pale expression. The voice spoke again.

"Now, let's get this whole song and dance over with."

A few minutes after Luffy and Frantz left the tavern.

"Hahahaha!"

The waitress Kelly was laughing as she counted the money she collected the previous night.

"I gotta thank Lady Caria for the business she gave me last night. No, I should thank the mayor since she's using his money."

She laughed again.

*BOOM*

The tavern shook as a deafening noise reverberated.

"Was that cannons?!"

She ran out of the tavern. Her eyes widened as the sky was filled with cannonballs flying towards the town.

"Shit!"

*BOOM*

Dozens of explosions erupted as the cannonballs hit the town. Buildings were blown to bits and the screams of people rang out. Kelly was sent flying after her tavern exploded. Pieces of wood and metal cut and pierced her body. However, she was still standing.

"Thank god I was able to activate hardening in time to protect my vitals..."

She pulled a piece of wood out of her leg and threw it to the ground. She looked at the site of her tavern that was now on fire.

"There were a lot of guys inside who were happily sleeping after partying the night away..."

Veins started bulging in her head and neck. She gritted her teeth with bloodshot eyes.

"Pirates! Everyone, get up! Pirates are attacking!"

She could hear someone going around warning everyone.

"It's too late for that."

She looked up and a second wave of cannonballs come flying at her. She put her hands under her skirt and pulled out two revolvers. Dozens of people appeared around her with handguns and rifles in their hands. They aimed and fired. The bullets flew through the cannonballs and a chain of explosions erupted in the sky.

"We are an island of the world's strongest Bounty Hunters....Cannonballs are nothing to bullets coated in Haki and bloodlust."

The sound of teeth grinding and guns being loaded reached her ears. More and more people came flooded into the town carrying swords, spears, glaives, and all kinds of weapons. They differed in age, gender, and even race. And yet, there was something that unified them. Something they all had in common. Something they all felt.

That was RAGE.

Kelly tore her long skirt until it was above her knees and revealed the gun holsters on her thighs. She and the people around her started walking toward the coastline. They could quickly see the fleet of ships heading towards the island. Another round of cannonballs was fired. Like the second round, they were shot down by the people. Kelly lifted her hand in the air.

"Death to the invaders!"

"MURDER ALL PIRATES!!!!"

The ground shook as the people roared. They started running towards the coast without bloodshot eyes.

Hell had officially broken loose.